Josh Frieman awarded honorary fellowship of the Royal Astronomical Society

Josh Frieman stands in front of the Blanco telescope and the Dark Energy Camera at the Cerro Tololo Observatory in Chile. Photo: Brian Nord, FCPA

On Jan. 10 the Council of the Royal Astronomical Society in the UK announced that it has awarded Fermilab and University of Chicago scientist Joshua Frieman with an honorary fellowship.

Every year, the Royal Astronomical Society recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to astronomy and geophysics. RAS elected Frieman as a 2014 honorary fellow to mark his singular contributions to the study of dark energy.

Frieman is a founder of and currently serves as director of the Dark Energy Survey, a collaboration of about 300 scientists from 25 institutions on three continents.

Press Release

Massive magnets, science shows and hands-on fun at Fermilab's Family Open House on Sunday, Feb. 9

Local high-schoolers conduct a science demonstration at Fermilab's Open House. Photo: Cindy Arnold

The Family Open House is one of the most popular annual events hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. This year's event will take place on Feb. 9 from 1 to 5 p.m. in Wilson Hall. It will include activities for the whole family, from hands-on science exhibits to tours of some of the lab's attractions — including the massive electromagnet that was brought to Fermilab last summer.

Highlights of the Open House include a series of performances by the always-popular Jerry Zimmerman as Mr. Freeze, demonstrating the (very) cool effects of liquid nitrogen. About a dozen scientists will be ready to answer questions on the 15th floor of Wilson Hall, and while you're there, you can check out the spectacular view of Fermilab's site and the surrounding area. In the atrium, families can enjoy a "physics carnival," including interactive exhibits by students from three local schools: Naperville Central High School, Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park and Francis W. Parker School in Chicago.

The first three months

Vicky White

In October I stepped into the role of chief operating officer with a determination to make a difference and improve some aspects of the way the lab operates. It has been an exciting time marked by several unusual events.

The lab survived the government funding shutdown without furloughs and without extensive damage to the scientific program and projects. Planning for a partial shutdown required the help of many people, and I thank all of them and indeed every person at the lab who worked through the difficult situation. Fermilab ended up with a plan and a planning framework for unusual situations that will serve us into the future, whatever bizarre situations we may be faced with.

Planning for P5, the national science planning committee to establish the U.S. physics program for the next decade, has been a huge effort over the past few months. I was pleased to participate in the many discussions at the lab. The future vision and plan informs every step we take today in operating the lab.

Extreme cold conditions led to us keeping the lab open but actively encouraging those who could to work from home. We do have a telecommuting policy and procedure, and I want to use it, as appropriate.

I learned a lot more about the Employee Advisory Group and some of the issues they are working on to improve the way the lab functions. I look forward to receiving their advice and suggestions in the future.

I am astonished by the number of small things that come past the COO to sign or decide. I'm tracking everything to figure out how it should be done in a more efficient way that will benefit all of us.
Something Fermilab has that not many people know about but that our DOE contract requires is a contractor assurance system. Although it sounds formal and bureaucratic, it can actually help us do a better job. I'll write more about it in my next column in February. Doing it right will let us fix some policies that are out of date or missing completely. It will also help us better understand which bureaucracies we have because we must have them and which ones we have because that is simply the way things have always been done.

I want to hear suggestions for things to improve or fix. Email me or submit suggestions or complaints through the Employee Advisory Group. Some things are hard to fix and some are easy — I'll do my best.

Do work safely, always with an eye to the future of our lab.

Construction Update

First beneficial occupancy granted to MC-1 Building

The Refrigeration Room of the MC-1 Building has been turned over to the lab to start installing cryogenic equipment. Photo: Cindy Arnold

The construction of the MC-1 Building has reached a major milestone by granting beneficial occupancy to the laboratory of the one-story Refrigeration Room. This allows the Accelerator and Particle Physics divisions access to the building to start installing the cryogenic plant necessary to support the Muon g-2 and Mu2e experiments. The next beneficial occupancy, scheduled for February, is that of the high-bay area of the building, which will allow the Muon g-2 experiment to begin installing the storage ring currently stored outside of the Meson Detector Building.